Cade Cunningham's Omission Keeps NBA's Most Improved Player Race Exciting

Cade Cunningham enjoyed an exceptional season worthy of All-NBA consideration, guiding the Detroit Pistons back to the playoffs after a six-year absence. However, he did not receive the NBA's Most Improved Player award.

The Atlanta Hawks' point guard Dyson Daniels received the accolade. with a combined score of 332 points and 44 out of the 100 possible first-place votes Cunningham secured third place with 122 points, narrowly edging out Christian Braun from the Denver Nuggets and trailing Ivica Zubac of the Los Angeles Clippers, who came in second.

Cunningham outperformed all those players with his statistics. averaged 26.1 points, 9.1 assists, and 6.1 rebounds However, he was also an excellent performer during the previous season, with averages of 22.7 points and 7.5 assists. While Cunningham showed progress, the more significant enhancement emerged from his fellow Detroit Pistons players.

Moreover, Cunningham was selected as the first choice in the 2021 NBA Draft and performed impressively throughout his initial year. Typically, the highest drafted player tends to excel in their fourth season. What makes Cunningham’s advancement somewhat unexpected is primarily due to him missing almost the entire following season because of an injury.

This often occurs with the Most Improved Player award. After his sophomore year, Memphis Grizzlies' standout Ja Morant received this honor; however, he was selected second overall in the draft, just like previous recipients Victor Oladipo and Brandon Ingram. Awarding the prize to a player whose performance aligns closely with pre-draft projections seems somewhat at odds with the essence of recognizing significant improvement.

However, this is an intrinsic issue stemming from an accolade that boasts ambiguous criteria. The Most Improved Player award supplanted the NBA’s Comeback Player of the Year trophy, which ceased operations after just six years because of reservations about precisely what aspect of players' comebacks the league wished to celebrate. Among those honored, three recipients triumphed following recoveries from substance abuse issues, whereas another pair emerged victorious upon resolving their contract disputes.

The outcome is an accolade that baffles everybody. The trophy itself, known as the George Mikan Trophy, commemorates a player who claimed five of the initial BAA and NBA championships following his victory at the collegiate level. Mikan’s prowess was such that it led to the creation of the goaltending rule in basketball and prompted doubling the width of the key. This exemplifies dominance rather than progress.

The NBA ought to reintroduce the Comeback Player of the Year accolade and instead present a Rising Star award.

Alternatively, maintain the absurdity. After all, the NBA flourishes on controversies.

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More must-reads:

• Don Nelson aids Warriors in claiming yet another playoff victory
• Dyson Daniels steals his way to Most Improved Player Award
• Cade Cunningham of the Pistons revives in the fourth quarter to prevent elimination against the Knicks.

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